Bruce Springsteen “Gets Back” At London Organizers At Dublin Concert

Bruce Springsteen poked some good-natured fun at the authorities who shut down his headlining gig at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in London on Saturday, July 14. Springsteen was in the midst of a dream duet with Sir Paul McCartney, having just performed “I Saw Her Standing There” and most of “Twist And Shout”, when policemen cut the power to the stage. The organizers cited the fact that the show had eclipsed the 11 p.m. curfew.

“When did England become a police state?,” the E Street Band’s Little Steven responded on Twitter. “English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn’t want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!”

One show later in Dublin, Ireland, Springsteen referenced the incident several times throughout his three-and-a-half hour set.

At the start of the show, the “Born In The U.S.A.” singer turned to a fake power generator on stage, flipped the switch to the on position, and resumed playing the last minute of “Twist and Shout.” He then launched into a cheeky cover of Sonny Curtis’s “I Fought The Law.”

Springsteen also held up a sign that read, “Only the Boss says when to pull the plug.” Later, in a move that must have delighted many in attendance, Springsteen had a fake British cop come on stage and attempt to arrest him during “American Lqnd.”

View the full set list below:

Twist and Shout I Fought The Law Badlands Out in the Street We Take Care of Our Own Wrecking Ball Death to My Hometown My City of Ruins Spirit in the Night I’m a Rocker (tour premiere) Prove It All Night Darkness on the Edge of Town Jack of All Trades Murder Incorporated Johnny 99 Easy Money Working on the Highway Waitin’ on a Sunny Day Raise Your Hand My Hometown (tour premiere) The River The Rising Land of Hope and Dreams We Are Alive Born in the U.S.A. Born to Run Rosalita Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Twist and Shout American Land